Electric-light switch.



To L7/Z whom t may concern;

, UNITED sTATEs PATENT oEEroE;

JAMES MGGAVOCK, OF DENVER, COLORADO, ASSIGNOR TO THE NEW ENG- I LAND ELECTRIC COMPANY, OF DENVER, COLORADO, A CORPORATION OF COLORADO.

ELECTRIC-LIGHT SWITCH- Speccaton of `Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 19, 1907.

Application filed April 6, 1906. Serial No. 310,305.

13e it known that I, JAMES MoGAvooK, a citizen of the United State'sof America, re-

siding at the city and] county of Denver and State of Colorado, have invented new and `useful Electric-Light Switches, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates" to improvements in electric-light switches; and the objects of my inventionare, first, toprovide an electrici light switch that is either a single or threeway or double or multiple pole switch; sec-` ond, to provide an instantaneous spring-` throw and frictional brush-contact switch,

and, third, to provide a simple durable elec-` tric-light switch that contains very few parts and that can be made cheaply and that is reliable and durable. 'I attain these objects `bythe mechanism illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a vertical longitudinal sectional view through the supporting-casing of theswitch on the line of a pair of the terminal poles, the operating mechanism being shown in side elevation. Fig. 2 is a central vertical longitudinal sectional view through the casing and mechanism. Fig. 3 is a central. vertical transverse sectional view with the faceplate attached, the parts being in the position they assume immediately prior to being reversed by the action of the operatingspring. Fig. -1 is a plan view, the face-plate bemg removed. Fig. 5 is a perspective view` of the yoke to which the operating mechanism is pivotally secured. Fig. 6 is a perspective view of one of the binding-posts, to which the contact-terminals are secured. Fig. 7 is a perspective view of one of the side plates of the oscillating lever. Fig. 8 is a perspective view of one of the `contact-terminals. Fig. 9 is a perspective view of one ofthe rockarms to which the push-arms are pivotally secured; `and Figs. 10 and 11 are perspective -views of plates which are pivotally secured, respectively, between the rock-arms and lever-plates and which confine the opl erating-springs.

Similar letters of reference refer to similar parts vthroughout the several views.

I preferably illustrate in the several figures of the drawings a three-way switch. In

the drawings the numeral 1 designates a nonconductive casing, which I preferably make of porcelain and'which consists of a hollow casing having integral-formed closed end and open end. This casing is adapted to inclose and support my improved switch. In this casing 1 place four contact-terminal poles 2,

3 4, and 5, each of which consists of'a bindingost 6, which is made ofany suitable con uctive material, which is seated in a recess 7, formed in two of the opposite sides of the casing near the corners of the other two opposing sides. The opposite ends of these strips `are turned at right angles to the body of thev strip to form a short step portion.,

This bottom step portion is secured to the inside of the 'bottom of the casing by a screw4 8, and the top step contains a threaded aperture in which a binding-screw 10 is threaded,

that is adapted to connect to the terminal` end of the ends of the four circuit wires 11,

12 13, and 14. Apertures l5 are formed 1 through the top edge of the opposite sides of the casingthe poles are secured to, through which the ends of thesecircuit-wires are inserted to the binding-screws of the poles.

` To the screws 8 of thebinding-post I secure the contact-terminals 16 of these four poles, which consist of a bladeof conductive material provided with a right-angled foot portion that rests on the foot of the bindingpost and is secured to it bythe screw 8. The

ody of this contact-terminal rests against the body of the binding-post, and at its opposite end spring-wings 17 are formed, which aremade of an electric resilient or springmg conductive metal, such as spring-brass.

These wings are folded toward each other to stand close together, and a narrow tapering entrance-guideway 18 is formed at thefupper and lower ends of the wings, which will prevent the brushes from'catching as they pass in between the wings, as will hereinafter be shown. The four poles, which comprise two sets of poles in this three-way switch, are all identical in construction. Across the top of the open end of the casing I secure a plate 20 by screws 21 to the edges of the vsides of the casing. This plate extends beyond the casing a short distance at each end, which contain screw-receiving apertures by which the casing may be secured to a wall or partition in which it is placed. To the under side of this plate I secure the center portion of a yoke 22, the ends of which depend from the plate and contain apertures 23, in which I 'pivotally secure one end of an oscillating or IOC tilting cage-shaped lever 24. This cage consists of two side pieces 25, each of which is pivoted at its upper end in the apertures 23 of the yoke 22 by a pin 26, while their lower ends are connected by a pin 26; A pin 22A extends through the yoke just above the cage 24, and upon this pin I pivotally secure two crescent-shaped rock-arms 27 and 28, which I place inside of the sides of the cage and pivot them in a central aperture 29, formed substantially in alinement with the ends of these crescent-shaped levers. The ends of these two rock-arms are arranged to register opposite each other, and in them I form two apertures, to which I pivotally attach one of the ends of two push-pins 30 and 31, to the opposite ends of which I secure two push-buttons 32 and 33. These push-buttons extend loosely through two apertures 34 and 35, which I form in the plate 20, and act as guide-apertures for them. Below the aperture 29 in the rock-arms I form an aperture 36, in which I pivotally secure a tilting plate 37, and near the lower end of the cage I pivotally secure a similar tilting plate 38.- These two tilting plates I connect together4 by a pin 39, which is rigidly connected to the plate 38, but has a sliding movement through an aperture 37 A in the plate 37, and around the pin between the plates I mount a coiled expansive spring 40, which oscillates with its cage. This spring is under sufIicient expansive pressure to always throw the rock-arms and the cage to one side of their pivotal centers when the arms have been pressed down a sufficient distance by one of the push-buttons, and this spring always holds the cage and the rock-arms tilted to one side of the pivotal center of the rock-arms and yoke. This arrangement normally holds one pushbutton projecting above the plate 2O and the other practically even with its surface. Pins 22B extend through the yoke 22, one on each side of the pin 22, and these pins act as stops to limit the movement of the rockarms and of the cage when they are thrown from one position to another by the action of the spring 4()` To the opposite ends of the pins 26 that project beyond the yoke I rigidly secure double-ended make-and-break contactbrushes 41 and 42, both of which consist of a hub portion with thin knife-blade contactl ing terminals 43, projecting from the oppoi site sides of the hub portion. These makeand-break knife-blade double-ended contactbrushes are arranged in the three-way switch with one brush in contact with the poles, and l I have illustrated the brush 41 in contact with the poles 2 and 3 and with the contactblades of the other brush 42 at an oblique angle to the brush 41 and with one of its contact-blades a short distance above and the other contact-blade a short distance below its cooperating poles 4 and 5, preferably as shown. Consequently one contact brush will stand in contact with its poles and the other contact-brush will bein position to be thrown in contact when the one that is in contact is thrown out of contact, and vice versa.

The operation is as follows: When the push-button 32 is pushed down, the contactbrush 4'1, which is shown in contact with the poles 2 and 3, is thrown out of contact with them, one blade of the brush rising out of the spring-wings of the pole 1 and the other blade moving down out of the spring-wings of the pole 2, while the brush 42 is thrown in, the expansive tension of the spring being sui'licient when it is thrown over the center of the rockarins and cage to cause' it to drive the knifeblades of this brush into the spring-wings of the poles 4 and 5. This downward movement of the push-button 32 forces the rockarins down, which causes the plate 37 to slide on the pin 39 and compresses the springs 40, the pin at the same time being moved to a point where it is in line with axis of the rockarms, and as it passes to one side of this line the spring instantaneously expands, causing the rock-arms to be quickly thrown to the opposite of their original position and the cage to the opposite of its original position, driving the knife-blades of the brush 42 into the spring-wings of the poles 4 and 5 and pushing the push-button 33 up above the plate. Then when this push button is pressed down the contact-brush 42 is thrown out and the contact-brush 41 is forced again between the wings of the poles 2 and 3. A face-plate 44 may be placed over the end of the casing and secured by screws to the supporting-plate 20. `The circuit-wires 11, 12, 13, and 14 are arranged in opposite sets, the wires 11 and 12 connecting with the poles on one side of the switch and the wires 13 and 14 connecting with the pole on the opposite side.

In the three-way switch the bottom of the casing is provided with a recess 46, which is formed transversely across one end of it and connects with the screw-holes in which the screws 8 of the binding-post and terminal are secured, and in this recess a strip of rnaterial 48 is placed, that is clamped in the recess by the screws 8, which extend through apertures in its ends, and a cross-circuit is thus formed between two cross-poles. The switch is then ready to be operatively connected in an electric-light circuit in a well-v known manner.

In order to make a single-pole switch, this cross connection and the poles and brush and the circuit-wires on one side of the yoke in the casing are left off entirely, and in order to make a double-pole switch both brushes are set parallel with each other and in contact with both sets of poles; but the crosscircuit strip 48 is left oijl' when one push-but- IOO IIO

.ton and the rock-arms and cage and spring are in operative position to throw them out at the operation of the projecting push-button. I-Iaving described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is*- l N l. In an electric-light switch,a support` ingcasing, terminal poles operatively mount-` i ed in said casing, -asupport 1n said casing, i [0.

rock-armsmounted in said support intermediate of their ends, reciprocating push-buttons in said support connected to the opposite ends ofsaid rock-arms, an oscillating lever pivotally connectedto said support, a

.spring whichpressesat one end against said [oscillating` lever and at its opposite end against said rock-arm below its pivotal cen- '.ter in` said support, contact-brushes connectedto said oscillating lever and arranged in operative make-and-break relation to said f poles, as set forth.

2 In an electrilight switch, a support having ayoke secured thereto; an oscillating t lever pivoted to said yoke; rock-arms pivoted-tofsaid yoke above said lever; push- `arms connected to the ends of said rock? arms; an Iapertured platepivoted between `said rock-arms a plate pivoted to the lever,

and a pin secured to the latter plate and eX- tending `through the aperture in the other plate; a coiled s ring upon said pin, between said plates, anc brushes operated by said "lever, in combination with a suitable casing,l

t having term said brushes. 3. In anelectric-light switch, the/combina@ t tion with a casing havingterrninal poles, of a support secured to said casing,A having a yoke;` a lever comprising sideplates pivotinal poles located inthe path of said side `nal poles,

in presence of two Witnesses.

ally secured at their upper ends to theyoke; a pair of similar-shaped rock-arms,`p1voted centrally to said yoke, above -said lever;` push-arms Secured between the adjacent ends of said rock-arms; an apertured plate, pivoted between said arms below their ivotal point, a plate pivoted between the sai plates of the lever, and below the apertured plate,

having a rigidi pin which extends up through the. aperture in the upper plate; a coiled spring on said pin, between said plates, -and brushes rigidly secured to the pivot-pins of plates, and in the path ofthe term1- 4. In an electric-light switch, a support lowthe apertured plate, havinga rigid pin i which extends up through the apertured plate; a spring surrounding said pin, between the plates, and stops for limiting the throw of the rock-arms and of the lever in either direction.

In testimony whereof I aIiX my signature i i l JAMES MCGAVOCK.

Witnesses l i t H. `W. LAURENCE, y CLARENCE R. DEDERIGK. 

